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Verizon Pulls Down the Shutters on its App Store

US operator Verizon Wireless has closed down its own-brand app store for Android and BlackBerry.

The store will begin to phase out immediately – developer submissions already closed, with subscription apps being pulled shortly – with every single app intended to be removed by March next year.

“There’s now a whole new tech landscape in which both consumers and developers can interact like never before. We’re evolving our strategy to further simplify today’s experience and meet the needs of tomorrow,” said the Verizon statement. “We’ll be introducing new merchandising strategies, starting with AppLuvr, an app that can help get your Android app discovered by millions of Verizon customers.”

The store launched in March 2010, with its unique selling point being the ability to pay for apps direct to a Verizon mobile bill. Google has recently started rolling out that ability for the Google Play store - and, as Verizon itself points out: "most apps existing on Verizon Apps are already available on multiple app storefronts".